Controlling whooping cough in Amad village, Anss district, Dhamar Governorate
2 December 2024 – In July 2024, an Electronic Integrated Disease Early Warning System (eIDEWS) coordinator in Dhamar Governorate noticed an increase in suspected whooping cough cases, with 5 reported in Amad village. An RRT was dispatched to investigate and conducted house-to-house visits. Within a week the team had reported 65 suspected cases, mostly children under 5. Alarmingly, all of those affected were unvaccinated, a result of either parental lack of awareness or vaccine refusal.
The RRT responded by isolating cases to prevent further spread. Treatment and prophylaxis of cases and close contacts was provided, together with community education and awareness-raising, including engagement with local community leaders. The RRT continued monitoring the area for 3 weeks, during which no new cases emerged.
Responding to an acute watery diarrhoea outbreak in Amran and Dhamar governorates
In May 2024, there was a spike in suspected cholera cases in Amran Governorate, with 23 cases reported within 1 week. In July 2024, Dhamar Governorate also experienced a significant increase in suspected cases, particularly in Khabaj village, located in the Mayfa'at Anss district.
The eIDEWS coordinator noticed the alarming trend. RRTs were deployed to both locations to investigate. They confirmed that all cases met the standard cholera definition. Contact tracing and house to-house visits found no new infections. The team distributed medical supplies to affected families, providing treatments and chlorinated water to 6 households in Dhamar and 40 households in Amran.
The RRTs engaged with the local imam and community leaders to promote the importance of hygiene and handwashing, and conducted health awareness sessions, reaching 100 community members in Dhamar and 40 in Amran. The sessions focused on cholera prevention and hygiene practices. After 3 weeks no new cases had been reported.
Preventing and treating acute watery diarrhoea in Abyan Governorate
In June 2024, Muhannaf General Hospital in Lawder district requested support after an alarming increase in its acute watery diarrhoea caseload. The number of cases had reached 767, and there had been 6 deaths.
Access to water in Lawdar district is restricted and the district capital, the city of Lawdar, depends on tankers for drinking water.
An RRT was deployed to help monitor cases, intervene in treatment, engage with medical and nursing staff and organize awareness raising sessions. Training sessions were also provided to health workers who interacted with cases.
Preventive and therapeutic support provided by the team included 45 awareness sessions, held in both the hospital and in households, which reached 224 contacts. The RRT also visited 52 houses, distributing flyers and pamphlets on cholera prevention, and spoke with an additional 98 contacts.
The RRT’s actions led to a decrease in incidence and improvement in the hospital’s monitoring and recording of cases, and helped build the capacity and motivation of hospital staff.
Continued investment in Yemen's health surveillance infrastructure is vital for sustainable recovery and resilience against future health crises.
Learn more about how WHO and the World Bank are strengthening disease surveillance in Yemen
